ADF

From a small, white building on the campus of Regional Maritime University near Tema, Ghana, a handful of people keep watch on a maritime area that stretches from the northern border of Mauritania to the southern border of Angola. The Maritime Trade and Information Sharing Centre (MTISC) for the Gulf of Guinea is a free service funded by private and public interests, including the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Interpol, Oil Companies International Marine Forum and nations from the G7 Friends of the Gulf of Guinea Group. Watch keepers, who work two or three at a time, typically are drawn from…

As Africa enjoys unprecedented economic growth, coastal countries hope to reap the rewards of what is being called the “blue economy.” Gulf of Guinea countries are benefiting from increased port traffic, tourism and underwater oil drilling. Several Gulf ports have expansion projects underway to accommodate larger ships from around the world. But this growth is not guaranteed. It must be protected from threats that seek to blow it off course. The Gulf is now the world’s leader in piracy with nearly an attack per week recorded in 2014, according to the International Maritime Bureau. Oil theft is draining the region’s…

Maritime security has taken the center stage in recent times in the Gulf of Guinea region. Crimes at sea have assumed alarming proportions and are posing a huge threat to global commerce.  About 90 percent of the world’s trade is undertaken via sea. With resources such as oil and gas, we serve the energy needs of many nations. The economies of many nations depend heavily on the maritime domain and the growing concerns of the security of the domain. International collaboration is, therefore, the best way forward. However, international collaboration is not the only measure required to deal with the…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE The Namib Desert on Africa’s southwest coast is one of a number of remote “International Dark Sky Reserves” drawing stargazers in search of a celestial safari. Many lodges have bought research-grade telescopes and hired live-in astronomers to try to lure tourists. “Most people come here for the other activities, visiting the dunes or the nature reserve where you see all the wildlife. This is kind of a bonus,” said Misha Vickas, formerly a guide at a public observatory in Sydney, Australia, but now a resident at the &Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge. During the day, the Namib’s copper, red…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Three African leaders have signed an initial deal to end a long-running dispute over the sharing of Nile waters and the building of Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam in Ethiopia. The leaders of Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan signed the agreement in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum. Egypt has opposed the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, saying it would worsen its water shortages. Ethiopia says the dam will give it a fairer share of Nile waters. In 2013, Ethiopia’s Parliament ratified a controversial treaty to replace colonial-era agreements that gave Egypt and Sudan the biggest share of the Nile’s water. Egypt’s then-President Mohamed…

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE Sierra Leone began a campaign in December 2014 to protect almost half the population from malaria, reducing the burden on clinics from people who wrongly fear they have Ebola. The early symptoms of the diseases — fever, headaches and aching joints — are so similar that malaria can easily be misdiagnosed, causing unnecessary referrals to Ebola treatment units. More than 9,300 trained community health workers went door to door in districts where the risk of Ebola is highest to administer anti-malarial tablets to 2.5 million people over three days. “Malaria is the number one killer in Sierra Leone,…

A Booming West African Economy Faces Seaborne Threats The Gulf of Guinea finds itself at a critical moment in its history. The promise of economic growth and the danger of maritime crime are pushing the region in opposite directions. And like a ship beset by a storm, only the hands of skilled sailors can help the region navigate the rough waters. First, the good news: West Africa’s economies are booming, and the Gulf is an important part of that growth. It’s a major route for shipping oil all over the world. Container shipping traffic is up. The Gulf’s mild, predictable…

Gulf of Guinea Nations Gather in Ghana to Forge Partnerships Against Maritime Crime An oil tanker carrying nine crew members sailed through the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of Nigeria in January 2015. Soon, the vessel fell victim to a common regional threat. Near Warri, Nigeria, eight heavily armed pirates boarded the ship, bound for a port in Togo, and took command. From there, the MT Mariam continued its course up the West African coast. Much of this journey is shrouded in mystery. At some point, pirates must have sidled the Mariam up next to another vessel operated by…

The Discovery of Oil Brings With It A Need to Ensure Maritime Security MUTARU MUMUNI MUQTHAR Mutaru Mumuni Muqthar is executive director of the West Africa Centre for Counter-Extremism, an independent civil society organization focused on counterterrorism research. He has a master’s degree in international terrorism, global crime and international security from Coventry University, United Kingdom, and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ashesi University, Ghana. As piracy off the Horn of Africa has decreased, the focus has shifted to the Gulf of Guinea, a coast stretching 2,500 kilometers from Cape Lopez in Gabon north to Cape Three Points in…

When criminals are stopped in the waters of one country, they shift their activities to another The pirates of the Gulf of Guinea can be an unimpressive-looking group. Although they are hard and muscular, captured pirates often dress like beggars — shoeless and wearing cast-off clothes that seem intended for smaller men. They appear to be the sort of thieves who would steal cellphones and money but little more. Appearances can be deceiving. In January 2014, pirates stole a tugboat to use as a mother ship and began a days-long journey to steal the Kerala, a Greek-owned, Liberian-registered oil tanker,…